Cocoon airbag to protect a sleeping occupant

Abstract

An automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system includes an airbag cushion having a first side oriented in a vertical configuration in a non-deployed condition and a second side oriented substantially ninety degrees from the first side in the non-deployed condition and adapted to receive an occupant on the second side providing an occupant sleeping position. At least one retracting tether is connected to the first side and the second side and is retracted using a retraction mechanism. The retraction mechanism acts upon receipt of a signal to retract the at least one retracting tether and pull the second side toward the first side thereby enclosing the occupant between the first side and the second side in a deployed condition of the airbag cushion. At least one energy absorbing (EA) element is connected to the airbag cushion acting to restrict a fore-aft motion of the airbag cushion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system, comprising:
 an airbag cushion including:
 a first side oriented in a vertical configuration in a non-deployed condition; 
 a second side oriented substantially ninety degrees from the first side in the non-deployed condition adapted to receive an occupant on the second side providing an occupant sleeping position; 
   at least one retracting tether connected to the first side and the second side and retracted using a retraction mechanism, the retraction mechanism acting upon receipt of a signal to retract the at least one retracting tether and pull the second side toward the first side thereby enclosing the occupant between the first side and the second side in a deployed condition of the airbag cushion, wherein the at least one retracting tether includes at least a first retracting tether connected at a first end of the first side and at a first end of the second side and at least a second retracting tether connected at a second end of the first side and at a second end of the second side; and   at least one energy absorbing (EA) element connected to the airbag cushion acting to restrict a fore-aft motion of the airbag cushion.   
     
     
         2 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 1 , wherein the first retracting tether defines a first retracting tether pair and the second retracting tether defines a second retracting tether pair, the first retracting tether pair and the second retracting tether pair having connection points of the first retracting tether pair with the first end of the second side and having connection points of the second retracting tether pair with the second end of the second side. 
     
     
         3 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one EA element defines a first EA element and a second EA element. 
     
     
         4 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 3 , wherein the connection points of first retracting tether pair are separated by a first spacing and the connection points of the second retracting tether pair are separated by a second spacing such that the first retracting tether pair form a triangle-shape having an apex located at the first EA element and the second retracting tether pair form a triangle-shape having an apex located at the second EA element. 
     
     
         5 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 1 , further including:
 a head area of the airbag cushion extending from the first end of the first side and the first end of the second side; and   a unitary tether connected to the head area, the unitary tether retracted upon receipt of the signal to shape a volume of the head area around a head of the occupant during deployment of the head area to prevent a shoulder area of the occupant from sliding through an open end of the airbag cushion in a fore-aft direction when the airbag cushion is in the deployed condition.   
     
     
         6 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 1 , further including a sensor communicating with the at least one energy absorbing element, the sensor generating the signal. 
     
     
         7 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 6 , wherein the sensor defines a pre-crash sensor defining an accelerometer wherein the signal is generated by the sensor signifying when a vehicle crash is imminent requiring deployment of the airbag cushion. 
     
     
         8 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 1 , further including multiple airbag sections of the airbag cushion which upon receipt of the signal are inflated to provide substantially 360-degree circumferential coverage of the occupant. 
     
     
         9 . The automobile vehicle deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 1 , including:
 a substantially rigid connecting arm fixed at a free end to a corner of the second side;   a rotating connection rotatably connecting the connecting arm to a vehicle compartment wall; and   a guide arm positioned proximate to the connecting arm and providing a tracking path for a travel motion of the connecting arm.   
     
     
         10 . A deployable cocoon airbag system, comprising:
 a first airbag cushion including:
 a first side oriented in a vertical configuration in a non-deployed condition and movably attached to a wall face of an automobile vehicle; and 
 a second side oriented substantially ninety degrees from the first side in the non-deployed condition adapted to receive an occupant on the second side providing an occupant sleeping position; 
   at least one retracting tether connected to the first side and the second side and retracted using a retraction mechanism, the retraction mechanism acting upon receipt of a sensor signal to retract the at least one retracting tether and pull the second side toward the first side thereby enclosing the occupant between the first side and the second side in a deployed condition of the airbag cushion;   multiple airbag sections of the airbag cushion which upon receipt of the sensor signal are inflated to provide substantially 360-degree circumferential coverage of the occupant in the deployed condition during a side impact to the automobile vehicle; and   at least one energy absorbing (EA) element connected to the first side of the airbag cushion restricting a fore-aft motion of the airbag cushion.   
     
     
         11 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 10 , further including a second airbag cushion similarly configured to the first airbag cushion, the second airbag cushion positioned oppositely about a center dividing wall within the automobile vehicle with respect to the first airbag cushion. 
     
     
         12 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 11 , wherein the first side of the first airbag cushion is connected to a first wall face of the center dividing wall and a third side of the second airbag cushion is connected to a second wall face of the center dividing wall. 
     
     
         13 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 11 , wherein the first airbag cushion is positioned in a first occupant sleeping compartment of the automobile vehicle and the second airbag cushion is positioned in a second occupant sleeping compartment of the automobile vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 11 , wherein the first airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion are aligned in a fore-aft configuration allowing limited motion of the first airbag cushion and the second airbag cushion in the fore-aft motion limited by the at least one EA element. 
     
     
         15 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 10 , further including a head area of the first airbag cushion extending from a first end of the first side and a first end of the second side. 
     
     
         16 . The deployable cocoon airbag system of  claim 15 , wherein the head area is inflated upon receipt of the sensor signal about a head of the occupant to prevent a shoulder area of the occupant from sliding through an open end of the first airbag cushion in a fore-aft direction. 
     
     
         17 . A method for protecting an occupant of an automobile vehicle using an airbag cushion, comprising:
 generating a signal from a pre-crash sensor identifying that a vehicle crash is imminent and requires deployment of the airbag cushion to protect an occupant sleeping on the airbag cushion;   pulling an end of a second side of the airbag cushion toward an edge of a first side of the airbag cushion to roll/enclose the occupant at a predetermined time of “x” msec prior to a crash impact using a tether mechanism; and   enclosing the occupant between the first side and the second side of the airbag cushion for occupant protection at an onset of the crash impact.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including dissipating fore/aft impact energy acting on the occupant using energy absorbing elements positioned between the airbag cushion and a vehicle interior. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further including inflating the airbag cushion to firmly grip the occupant between the first side and the second side of the airbag cushion.